Saving Money At Thanksgiving
The month of November is upon us, with crisp autumn days and longer nights. Very soon, thoughts of Thanksgiving turkeys and family getting together will be on our minds…as well as the cost of putting all of that together!
Thanksgiving should be a time of enjoying family and friends without the worry of how much it is going to affect your bank account. Here are some ideas to keep the costs down while keeping everyone’s holiday spirits up.
1) Look for discounts on turkeys..some stores even offer free turkeys for buying a set amount of groceries from them. There are many promotional offers for free turkeys, so check around your area for any way to score one at no cost to you!
2) Buy a larger bird. As with most things, buying in bulk will save you money, and there are always plenty of leftover suggestions for turkey.
3) Decorate the table with outdoor foliage. Nature provides some of the most beautiful arrangements that are just waiting to be placed on your table. Get an array of autumn leaves and pine cones to strew on the table, with a small branch and leaf display in the center. Combine it with some hand-made decorations, and your table will look warm and inviting…without having to spend a small fortune.
4) Always check the local paper for coupons. This time of year means that many of the newspapers will have coupons for those items needed, and will bring a lot of savings to your Thanksgiving day.
5) Suggest potluck. This will cut down on the amount of work you have to do and will save you on having to buy all of the fixings for the meal yourself.
These are just a few suggestions for keeping the Thanksgiving holiday within a budget without taking away from the richness of family togetherness.
By Angela Sangster, SaveMoneySpot, copyright 2010
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Save Money with an Insulated Cooler
Cooler
Buy yourself an insulated cooler (or dig that one out of the closet or garage) and you can save some serious money, especially during the summer months when we tend to travel more.
As funny as it may sound a nice cooler is actually an investment. You will also want to get a few of those reusable ice packs depending upon the size of your cooler. When we get ready to take a trip, even a short one we usually throw some drinks into the cooler along with some ice packs from the freezer.
Later on when we are out on the road and the kids start saying “I’m thirsty!” you can give them what you already have, chilled and in the cooler. No need to stop at a “convenience” store and pay those ridiculous prices ($1.89 for a cold drink?) and for those who have several children a stop for refreshments can be an expensive one.
Insulated Cooler
Of course you can also pack in some lunch meat, condiments or even candy bars. If you shop wisely you can be out on the road and have candy bars or other snacks, often at less than 20% of what it would cost in a “convenient” store. How did the world get to the point where people seem to be willing to pay more for a 20 ounce drink than they would for an entire 2 Liter or nearly a 6 pack; of the same exact brand and flavor to boot.
When you go to the grocery store and your are making plans for those dinners also consider family trips. It doesn’t just Think about how often you stop at a convenient store to get snacks and drinks. Or when you pay for your gasoline – do you also grab yourself a treat?
Take a few minutes of preparation and bring that stuff along with you in a nice insulated cooler or ice chest!
Written by D Slone, Copyright 2010 SaveMoneySpot.com
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It Pays For Itself…And Then Some!
Many times, money is wasted simply because we as consumers are careless about what we buy. Looking for products that are efficient and essentially pay for themselves will go a long way in saving many precious dollars.
Programmable thermostats are one product that over time pays for itself because you are able to program the exact temperature you want for your home. You can also time it to where it automatically goes down when the family leaves for the day. This will save you from forgetting about resetting the thermostat each time as well as saving money.
Space heaters are another item that can lower your heating bill. These are very efficient at heating a small area and in the long run will conserve the energy that the main heating unit is having to put out. I know when I had one, we would use it in the living room..and with closing off the rooms we weren’t using, it made my heat bill go down considerably.
Filtered water bottles or pitchers are another item that pays for itself. The filters themselves are anywhere from $10-$15 for the pitchers, and they last around four months. Much cheaper than buying bottled water all of the time..and much safer than drinking it straight from the tap.
There are many products, from battery chargers to high efficiency washing machines that can, with an initial investment, save your family a lot of money in the long run. Something as simple as changing your light bulbs to compact fluorescent ones can keep you from spending as much as an extra $100.00 a year…so check around and see what pays for itself!
By Angela Sangster, Copyright SaveMoneySpot, 2010.
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Categories: Family Tags: Electricity, Light Bulbs, savings, thermostats, utility bills
Take Some Time And Save Some Money
So much of what we get today…we are used to getting very quickly. Dinners are made microwave-ready so we can pop them in and out…with very little work or effort. Clothes are hurriedly tossed into a gas or electric dryer rather than the time it takes to hang them out on the line. Gas stations that are also convenience stores stock their shelves with food at twice the price…because it is easier to grab it from the same place you’re buying your gasoline rather than make the extra stop to the grocery store.
Time is often taken up with work, school, sports activities…all of these things are good. However, taking an hour or two each day to prepare for quick dinners or convenience items that can be packaged at home will go a long way in saving your family money. Buying meat in bulk and separating it into individually wrapped packaging doesn’t take long at all, and will make it easy to grab for quick defrosting and preparation. You can also take a couple or three days a month and prepare individual or “TV” dinners to be frozen for later use.
Other household duties can benefit from taking a little extra time as well. Rather than throw all the clothes that are washed into the laundry…try hanging some out on a clothesline when the weather permits. It will save on your weekly gas or electric consumption, and I’m sure most will agree that nothing smells better than clothes dried by the sun!
Taking some time can do more than save you money. It can bring more focus and perspective back to what you are working so hard for in the first place…which is time with the family. Make it something that is done together. Back in the “old days”, a lot of bonding between children and parents took place during daily chores. A lot of that stopped being necessary in the age of modern conveniences, and bringing at least a little of that back could have more than just financial benefits.
By Angela Sangster copyright SaveMoneySpot 2010
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Having A Wedding On A Budget
A Wedding
I remember when I was a young girl, I used to dream about what my wedding would be like. The long white dress, the perfect flowers, a huge, decorated church…all of these went along into my wedding day fantasy. However, when the time came, finding out how much all of that would cost put a serious damper on those dreams.
Tradition has always been that the bride’s family pays for the wedding…however these days, more and more couples pay for things themselves. Starting a life together should be a beautiful ceremony if that is what the couple wants to do…but just starting out can be difficult financially. There is no point in spending a ton of money on a lavish wedding…only to have no way to afford to live when it is done.
First, when planning the wedding, consider choosing an “off-time” for the date. The middle of the week will have fewer people competing for the time slot, so chances are it won’t be as expensive. If you’re not opposed to having a wedding outside a church setting, consider having a small one at home or a friend’s home. There are also many places outside, if you are planning a spring or summer wedding. Be sure and have a back up plan just in case the weather disappoints unexpectedly.
Just Married
Don’t spend unnecessarily on food and drink. If you plan on using a caterer, ask if their buffet service is less expensive than their seated dinners. If you’re unable to have catering, don’t be shy about pulling all willing friends and family together to contribute dishes and (if you’re lucky enough to know someone talented in baking) the wedding cake itself. Many store bakeries offer reasonable prices on wedding cakes, so don’t feel that it is necessary to go to a specialized shop.
Consider a resale store for wedding apparel. There are many lovely gowns for brides and bridesmaids and suits and tuxedos for the men that have only been gently used. I found a lovely tea-length ivory gown in the J.C.Penney catalog that not only made a beautiful wedding dress, it was also useful for other formal occasions.
When a new life as a couple begins…so do the expenses. It will be easier to start off on the right foot financially if you go into your life together without the debt a large wedding can incur.
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Babies and Budgets…They Can Coexist!
New Baby!
Nothing brings more happiness to a family than a brand new baby. It can also bring a lot of expenses. Here are some ways to be prepared so you can concentrate on your new bundle of joy..not a bundle of bills!
First, be grateful for family and friends who give you second hand baby clothing. Trust me…the baby does not care that they are wearing last year’s sleeper! If the clothes you are given are too big…save them for next year.
Rather than spend unnecessary dollars on ready to serve jars of baby food..why not make your own? Simply use vegetables and fruits from your garden or refrigerator and put them in a blender or a food processor. They can be made ahead and stored in plastic containers. Not only will you save money…you will know exactly what your baby is getting because you made it!
Make a budget
Comparison shop for the necessities, such as carseats, cribs, and diapers. Buying diapers in bulk (especially with newborns) saves money at the cash register and the gas tank…much less extra trips to the store. If you are lucky enough to have someone loan or give you a carseat or crib, make sure it is up to the latest standards for safety.
Keep track of what you are spending…sometimes when we see it in writing, we can see where costs can be trimmed. Making a budget and sticking to it is not always easy..but in the long run, you will save money toward that other expense children incur…the college fund!
By Angela Sangster, Copyright SaveMoneySpot.com 2010.
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